Motorola S11-Flex HD Bluetooth Stereo Headset review

There are a lot of Bluetooth headsets available, in countless configurations. You've got plenty of selection, even if you're more interested in listening to music that you would be taking calls. The holy grail is finding one that's great at both. Enter the Motorola Flex-11 HD Bluetooth Stereo Headset, which fits the bill nicely.

They're stylish, they fit well, and most importantly they deliver high quality sound both for calls and the music you listen to on your Android phone or tablet. I've been testing my pair for a while, and I have to say I'm pretty pleased.

The Motorola Flex-11 HD is an all around, all purpose headset. Covered with a protective coating and moisture-repellent mesh, they are perfect for every day use. It gets humid here on the east coast in the summers, and if you wear a Bluetooth headset of any kind it's going to get foul and sweaty. The Flex-11 HD was built for it, and they wipe clean easily.

They're also simple to pair and use. Tap the power button located on the top of the right earpiece, and you'll be greeted with a pleasant voice telling you you're connected or ready to pair, as well as the remaining time on the battery. On the same earpiece is the volume rocker, and the call or function button is on the left earpiece. there are no confusing controls to fiddle with.

There's also a water resistant flap which covers a standard micro USB charging port, and the Flex-11 HD will charge up in about 90 minutes with the included power supply. Also included are extra ear cushions of various sizes for the perfect fit in your ears, and an adjustable inner band that allows the Flex-11 HD to fit just about anyone. Match this with earstems that lengthen and rotate, and you'll be able to get the perfect fit.

Most importantly, the Flex-11 HD sounds good. Calls are clear, and sound better than most wireless set-ups. They sound good enough to use as a headset for calling on your laptop or from your Android device. Also very important for this style of headset is how well your music sounds while playing. Bluetooth headsets aren't exactly known for their audio quality, but the Flex-11 HD delivers better sound quality that you expect it to -- rivaling the average set of wired headphones. Audiophiles may get better sound out of their expensive buds or headsets, but the Flex-11 HD sounds as good or better than a mid-range set from Sony or Beats.

Pros

Moisture-resistant

High quality sound

Plenty of adjustment for the perfect fit

Cons

Price

The earbud style tends to dampen background noise. This is great for music, but not so much for all-purpose wearing among friends.

The bottom line

The Motorola Flex-11 HD isn't cheap. At over $100 you'll be able to find plenty of Bluetooth stereo headsets that cost less. But you'll be hard pressed to find a pair that sounds as good, especially when listening to your music on the go. The adjustable fit and included included inner band and ear cushions mean the Flex-11 HD will fit snugly and not shake loose during a vigorous workout or outdoor activity.

If you're looking for great sound without the hassle of wires, the Flex-11 HD is certainly worth a long hard look.

How would you compare comfort and fitment to the Moto S10-HD's? I had bought a set of those refurb'd at Woot! only to find that they really don't fit my head. That lump of skull behind my ears pressed on the back frame and it would get quite uncomfortable after ten minutes or so.

I would check out the jaybird freedom line. Best sounding and fitting bluetooth headphones I have ever used. Not perfect for calling though. They just launched a new version too which I haven't had the chance to try out.

The Motorola s11 are much better than the jaybird freedom line I say that due to range the Motorola s11 you can go like 30ft w/o them losing connection the jaybird I couldn't go 4 ft w/o losing connection as far as sound the jaybird I would say is a 8 and Motorola s11 is a 7

I've been using the plantronic backbeat 903+ and as far as I can tell those have been the standard. Do you have any experience with these? How do they compare and are they worth the extra price since you can get the backbeats for less than $50 on amazon?

The 903+ does sound good and they are comfortable, but the s11 is much more durable, far better for moisture resistance, and actually sounds even better. Also, while I have not had any significant time with the s11 specifically, I've owned the s9hd,s10,s7,s305, and s805 and can tell you without hesitation that motorola a2dp headsets have the best range and resist rf interference better than any other brand I've owned. If you do a lot of physical labor or exercise, these cant be beat, IMHO.

I used to use the predecessor to the BackBeat 903+, the BackBeat 903 and they weren't loud enough for my taste and I had to get them replaced twice under warranty because they weren't as resistant to sweat as they claimed. I prefer the JayBird BlueBuds X and the ones I used before that the JayBird Freedom JF3. Yes, they're much more expensive than the BackBeat 903+ but IMHO they're worth the extra cost because I can use them in the gym or running without worrying about ruining them and they're much louder. I'd probably opt for the JayBird Freedom Sprint or the BlueBuds X, not the original Freedom JF3 because the Freedom JF3 use a proprietary charger whereas the others use a standard MicroUSB charger. Also, all of them have a lifetime sweatproof guarantee. JayBird even replaced my Freedom JF3 for free under warranty after 1.5 years when they stopped working.

I thought the HD-S10 bluetooth headset was one of the worst headsets I've ever tried, and the reviews for them were quiet favorable. They were uncomfortable, and the sound quality was dreadful for music. Super muddy.

So I'm not going to get burned again by Motorola, but fortunately I don't have to because JayBird makes amazing sweat proof headsets. I would go that route instead.

Agreed. I have the JayBird BlueBuds X and they are by far the best BT set I have owned. I sweat quite a bit working out and while running and they handle it no problem. The only con would be the price as they are somewhat expensive however worth every penny for me as I use them at least 5 days a week at the gym or out running.

I was lucky enough to win a pair of these in the #HowIFlex twitter contest. I was already trying to talk myself into spending the money anyway. These are great. And even if I was only able to test drive them it didn't take long to figure out they are worth the money.

Fast Foward to Dec 2013. Yes, there was a lot of flax about these cracking after a few weeks of use. However, from what I have read, Motorola stood behind the product, and eventually changed something. The updated ones have a red power button. I purchased mine about a week ago, and they have the red power button, and if purchased the protection package from BestBuy. They sound great.

These aren't going to be the best choice for audiophiles, but the Tone is a great choice for me because of the battery life and range. I often leave my phone upstairs and take phone calls, listen to music all over my two story house. Plus they sync easily with my Windows 8 (yuck) laptop.

I have had these for about 6 months and they really are amazing. I almost never use wired ear buds for music listening anymore. So far I have not had any indication of the frame cracking either and I have a larger than normal head. IMO the users that report them cracking have bent them too far backwards when putting the on and that has caused them to be overly stressed.

**WARNING** the S-11 Flex are the older model and the frame and fit-band are flimsy. The new model: S-11 HD are even better. I own the S-11 HD model. I absolutely love them. I do high intensity training and workout routines. They are extremely water resistant and sound great. The range is so much better than any JayBirds I have owned. I have tried 3 different JayBirds but the range on them is terrible. With the S-11 HD I can set my phone down anywhere in the gym and walk around the gym while working out without issue. Honestly these are the first Bluetooth headphones that have been able to stay in and not break during my workouts. LOVE THEM. Just make sure you get the correct model.

I was about to buy the S11 - Flex when i heard about the "crack on the band" issue. I would like to know if it's true that this does not happen with the s11 HD model (not flex). Other people say that a new Flex model has been released and solved the problem. I would like to know which is the best model, and how can i recognize it. Is the S-11 HD the model i'm looking for?

Forgot the Motorola junk yet a pair of LG tone. They are half the price will last me a full day on a change of constantly listening to music. The main part of the head set sits on your collar so it doesn't fatigue your ears

I wish I could wear these kinds of headsets. I have a pair of Backbeat 903 and I can't wear them for more than an hour without my ear lobes hurting like a mofo. For some reason, anything that touches my ear lobes for extended periods of time hurt. The only regular BT ear piece I've ever been able to wear has been a Jawbone ICON since they don't wrap around your ear at all, but even that starts to hurt after some time with the little rubber thing that holds it in the year.

I have had these since December and have had no issues with the headband cracking. Motorola IS replacing the units that crack and I believe they have updated the materials to prevent cracking. There are now TWO S-11 models, the S-11 HD and the S-11 Flex HD, the Flex model has all the adjustability noted in the article while the S-11 HD is greatly reduced in that area.

I absolutely LOVE my S-11 Flex HD's, though they CAN get a little uncomfortable with glasses on, but for the hour or so that I wear them at any given time it's certainly not an issue. They compare well as far as sound quality with the Zagg wired headset I previously used though I have to be careful not to turn the media volume on the phone all the way up and only use the headset for volume control. I can attest to the sweatproof-ness of this headset, 2-1/2 hours cutting/bagging a 1-acre lot with a walk-behind mower in 90 degree heat and they never skipped a beat. They charge FAST and last 5+ hours on a single charge.

Also, Otterbox makes a case for these, $25 well spent in my eyes as it allows me to throw my headset in my backpack to transport to work without worrying about destroying the headset.

One thing that bugged me while reading the article, these are not named "flex-11 HD", they're "S-11 Flex HD", it's even right there on the box in the picture!

I've had all motorolla Bluetooth headsets up to the S-10 HD. They all sucked and at best lasted 2 months before they quit due to moisture. I gave up on Motorolla. Hell, they were so bad Best Buy wouldn't even sell a warranty on them. It seems that they may have fixed the moisture problem. Me, I won't buy them without a good minimum 2 year warranty.

I hate those rubbery ear pluggers on all the new headsets these days! They block out too much sound to wear most of the time. I am an Android fan and wouldn't buy an iDevice but just the other day, I broke down, went into the Apple store and got one of their new wired headsets. They are a great design! They fit my ears perfect without falling out all the time, don't make me feel partly deaf and sound really good. The volume buttons don't work but it can start and pause the music and answer a call, which is what I want. If there was a way to get the volume buttons to work as a way to navigate back and forth between songs, they would be near perfect (I miss my Nexus One headset that broke because of that feature.). My voice was really clear for the person I tested a call with too.

I bought this headset. I was fully satisfied with the sound quality and how it worked with the Motorola My Motospeak App. I am a audiophile. I have been for a long time. Therefore, having a headset that produces the ultimate sound quality is a must. I must say that this one did just that. However, the problem that I had with this headset was it kept breaking in the same place. No matter how I adjusted it, it would always break in the middle of the piece that surrounds the back of your head. I have an average size head. I went through 4 of them. Finally, I traded them in for another brand. I wished they would have worked because I like the My MotoSpeak App and how it works with Motorola Razr Droid Maxx HD. I hope Motorola fixes this defect.

You missed a big con on these, really all of the Motorola S line. They stuck for workouts or listening in bed. The dang rear cuts right across the center of the back of your head. Very uncomfortable for bench work, leg press machines or listening to music anywhere you may want to lay your head back, like long flights. Sound is okay, but there are better isolating buds out there that don't kill you workout or your rest.

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